The Hindu 14.01.2015
Self-cleaning e-Toilets in Tirupati soon
Facilities to come up at three major locations in the city
Compact steel structures, currently under construction at three major locations in the temple city, seem to have sparked a sense of inquiry among denizens and devotees. Failing to blend in with the surroundings, these futuristic cabins have garnered a stream of curious onlookers, who curiously ask workers repeatedly about its function. These are nothing but the state-of-the-art, fully automated e-Toilets, soon to be introduced by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT).
These toilets, developed by a private company, Eram Scientific, will be set up at three arterial junctions in the city - at Central Bus Station and near pilgrim amenities complex Vishnu Nivasam opposite Railway Parcel Office and near Urban SP Office.
Welcoming the introduction of automated toilets, Municipal Engineer B. Chandrasekhar said the units, which cost Rs.5.5 lakh each, would have all information about its usage in local languages.
It has exits and hooters to alert people outside in case of emergency.
“People can use these toilets by inserting a nominal amount of Rs.2/5, which is yet to be finalised by the Municipal Corporation. Subsequently, the door is opened and occupancy of the cabin is displayed outside.
After every five uses, it automatically flushes the floor and has tissues/napkins for the people using it,” he added.
Mr. Chandrasekhar said the toilets would require less human intervention as inbuilt sensors monitor the situation inside the cabins.
“The corporation is building tanks at the respective facilities to address water shortage and the company’s service engineer would be training engineers and workers for six months,” he maintained.
